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Distinguished Guests Visit the Capitol

PERRY (February 7, 2011) – Amid the daily business under the Gold Dome, I’ve spent time with some of Georgia’s most important industries and constituencies.  Throughout session, we welcome industry organizations, advocacy groups and distinguished Georgians to the Capitol, and I’ve been honored to meet with some of these important groups. 

The Senate continued its annual tradition of recognizing Georgia’s more than 30,000 firefighters during the 39th Firefighters’ Recognition Day at the Capitol.  These brave men and women serve over 900 fire stations across the state.  They dedicate themselves to the protection of life and property by preventing and suppressing fires while saving lives, and I was honored to shake hands with a few of these exceptional Georgians. 

The Georgia Agribusiness Council held their annual breakfast, and it was great to visit with many of the local farmers from our area.  The Council covers all agribusiness issues during the legislative session and has been an excellent partner in ensuring that we meet the industry’s needs.  Georgia’s food and fiber production and processing is a $65 billion industry, which according to the Council, accounts for more than 8 percent of the state’s economy and 351,000 jobs in 2008.  It’s crucial that we work together to continue moving our agricultural industry forward and maintain a competitive edge.   

I’ve also had the opportunity to meet with a few other important groups from the 20th Senate District, including representatives of the Home Builders Association of Georgia (HBAG) from Warner Robbins.  HBAG is part of a three-tiered federation of organizations who serve the housing industry and provide expanding opportunities for all consumers to have safe, decent and affordable housing.  I was also pleased to meet with a group from Houston County who were visiting the Capitol with The Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG).  Cooperation between the state and local government is a critical component to keeping our state running smoothly, and I always enjoy working with the ACCG to help our local communities. 

We’re continuing our focus on Georgia’s natural resources by reinstating the Joint Committee on Water Supply.  This committee was formed last year to study Georgia’s reservoir system and includes five members of the Senate and five members from the House of Representatives.  We’ll continue our work this year to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the state’s strategic needs for additional water supply, including the identification of creative financing options for water reservoirs and other opportunities for water supply enhancement.  The committee will make a report of its findings and recommendations by December 31 of this year. 

Expect the pace to quicken under the Gold Dome as we begin moving more legislation through the legislative process.  I encourage all constituents of the 20th District to visit us at the State Capitol and see their Georgia legislature in action. 

Sen. Ross Tolleson serves as Chairman of the Natural Resources and the Environment Committee.  He represents the 20th Senate District, which includes Bleckley, Dodge, Johnson, Laurens, Pulaski, and Telfair counties and parts of Houston and Wilcox counties.  He may be reached at 404.656.0081 or by e-mail at ross.tolleson@senate.ga.gov.

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
February 7, 2011
For Information Contact:
Natalie Strong, Director
Kallarin Richards, Deputy Director
kallarin.richards@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028

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Butterworth: Working to Keep HOPE Alive

The HOPE (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally) Scholarship program has been called the state’s brightest jewel, most valuable gem and its most unique treasure. The scholarship is a tool that helps attract Georgia’s best and brightest students to in-state colleges. It is a vital economic development tool and it is necessary to keep Georgia’s post-secondary education competitive with the rest of the nation. This is why we are diligently working to craft a sustainable solution to the funding problems currently threatening the program. Continue reading “Butterworth: Working to Keep HOPE Alive”

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Responding to Citizens’ Needs

By Bill Hamrick

CARROLLTON (February 4, 2011) – The Republican Caucus held a press conference early this week to discuss top agenda items for the session. Jobs, tax reform and reducing government spending topped the list. Georgians, along with voters across the nation, have told their elected officials loud and clear that they want smaller government and less intrusion.  Here at the state level, we’re working to meet that request.

Job growth tops the list for every legislator. We have discussed the importance of leading the southeast with a business-friendly atmosphere to encourage job creation. The governor provided for this in his budget recommendations by allotting more money for aggressively recruiting companies, which is a pivotal factor in recovering from the recession.

It is widely accepted that the economy has shifted away from products to more services. This is a concept that we will try to reflect in our tax reform. The antiquated tax system in Georgia isn’t fair and its complexity is a burden for taxpayers. Our goal is to diligently and deliberately reform the system with fair and simple taxes that make sense for the economy as it exists today.

As taxpayers, we all want to rest assured that our government is being a good steward of our hard earned money.  The Senate and House have both moved forward on legislation that would require the General Assembly to justify every dollar it spends.  Georgia currently operates under a continuation budget.  Once a new spending program is approved by the General Assembly, it is automatically rolled over into the next succeeding budget under a single line item, called continuation.  The budgets that we approve each year detail as little as 3 percent of the state’s spending; everything else appears on one line without any description.  Legislation is in the works to move to a zero-based budgeting method that would require us to justify all expenses, including those approved in earlier years.  The Senate has passed a version of zero-based budgeting four times in the last eight years, and the bill enjoys strong bipartisan support.  If we are to be good stewards of taxpayers’ hard-earned money, we must analyze and justify how every dollar is spent.

At a time when federal mandates and regulations seem to be encroaching on everyone’s life, the Georgia legislature is working to protect citizens’ rights.  A bill has been introduced that aims to protect the gun rights of legally-carrying citizens during a state of emergency.  Senate Bill 26 prohibits any additional limitations on carrying firearms during a state of emergency, including seizing any firearm not currently prohibited by law, or requiring the registration of a firearm that is not already required to be registered by law.  Legally-carrying citizens should be able to protect themselves and their personal property at all times, particularly emergency situations.

The state Department of Revenue recently issued a stop payment order after it released $12 million in state tax refunds to 30,000 Georgians after a computer error caused the state to overpay some of the refunds.  The deposits were withdrawn without notifying the account holder, resulting in overdraft fees for many Georgians. This is unacceptable. Legislation was introduced this week that will address this issue by prohibiting any state agency to withdraw a deposit from an individual’s bank account without express written consent from the account holder.

Expect the pace to quicken under the Gold Dome as we begin moving these and other bills through the legislative process.  I remain committed to passing good legislation that responds to our citizens’ needs.

Sen. Bill Hamrick serves as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. He represents the 30th Senate District which includes portions of Carroll, Douglas, and Paulding counties.  He may be reached at 404.656.0036 or via e-mail at bill.hamrick@senate.ga.gov.

COLUMN
For Immediate Release:
February 4, 2011
For Information Contact:
Kallarin Richards, Deputy Director
Katie Wright, Communications Manager
katie.wright@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028

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Ligon: Senate GOP Agenda Moving Forward

By State Sen. William Ligon

The Senate Republican Caucus unveiled its legislative agenda for the 2011 General Assembly on Monday. Senators came together during the months leading up to the 2011 session with a shared desire to focus on the issues that matter most to the people of Georgia. Senators voted among a host of legislative priorities and agreed on several major initiatives that reflected the concerns of citizens in their districts.

First and foremost, economic growth for our state topped the list. As legislators, though we know government never creates jobs, it can help recruit industry and promote a more favorable business climate. Secondly, in education, senators agreed to work on reforms that would save the HOPE Scholarship and to also conduct a comprehensive review of the Quality Basic Education Funding Formula. Thirdly, as mentioned last week, the Senate is seeking to control government spending through a constitutional amendment that would tie government growth to population growth and inflation. A part of this effort also hinges on how the legislature responds to the recommendations of the Special Council on Tax Reform and Fairness. Lastly, the Senate included illegal immigration as one of its top priorities.

For now, most legislative action is taking place in committee work as legislators perfect their proposals through the committee process. For example, since illegal immigration is one of our key issues this session, the Judiciary Committee, on which I serve, is already reviewing SB27 sponsored by Sen. Judson Hill. This particular bill requires all employers who bid on public works projects to participate in E-Verify. It imposes financial penalties and even jail time if employers fail to comply.

As Chairman of Health Care Delivery, a subcommittee of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, we are reviewing SB36. This legislation addresses the need to monitor the prescribing and dispensing of Schedule II, III, IV, and V controlled substances. In our current medical delivery system, doctors are often unaware that their patients are obtaining similar prescriptions from other colleagues. This leads to abuse in the system. Some patients are actually obtaining these medications to sell as drugs on the street. Other patients are overdosing and putting themselves in life-threatening situations. I am also a co-sponsor of this bill.

Perhaps by the time this column is published, I will have introduced my legislation addressing Medicaid fraud. If this legislation passes, Georgia will be able to implement a pilot program to identify legitimate Medicaid patients and legitimate services by providers through the use of an electronic Smart Card. I am excited about the potential savings for taxpayers that this legislation could mean.

Next week we are back in session starting Monday, February 7 for three legislative days and a full committee meeting schedule. Please do not hesitate to contact me at the Capitol if you need to discuss any legislative issues. The number is 404-656-0045. My email address is William@senatorligon.com. Please visit my website at www.senatorligon.com in the event you need further information. Many resources are available at your fingertips with the many links provided to government agencies and to General Assembly action.

Sen. William Ligon serves as Senate Deputy Whip.  He represents the 3rd Senate District which includes Brantley, Camden, Charlton, Glynn and McIntosh counties. He can be reached by phone at 404-656-0045 or by email at William@senatorligon.com.  His website is www.senatorligon.com.